पराद्य देवा वृजिनं शृणन्तु प्रत्यगेनं शपथा यन्तु तृष्टाः । वाचास्तेनं शरव ऋच्छन्तु मर्मन्विश्वस्यैतु प्रसितिं यातुधानः
Today let the gods hear the sin from afar; let the curses return to him; let the thief be pierced with words as with arrows; let the sorcerer go to the end of all his paths.
यः पौरुषेयेण क्रविषा समङ्क्ते यो अश्व्येन पशुना यातुधानः । यो अघ्न्याया भरति क्षीरमग्ने तेषां शीर्षाणि हरसापि वृश्च
Whoever anoints himself with human flesh, or with horse or cattle, O sorcerer; whoever brings the milk of the cow not to be killed—O Agni, with force cut off their heads.
संवत्सरीणं पय उस्रियायास्तस्य माशीद्यातुधानो नृचक्षः । पीयूषमग्ने यतमस्तितृप्सात्तं प्रत्यञ्चमर्चिषा विध्य मर्मन्
Let not the sorcerer, O far-seeing one, eat the yearly milk of the cow; O Agni, whatever insatiable one desires the sweet, strike him back at the vital spot with your flame.
विषं गवां यातुधानाः पिबन्त्वा वृश्च्यन्तामदितये दुरेवाः । परैनान्देवः सविता ददातु परा भागमोषधीनां जयन्ताम्
Let the sorcerers drink the poison of cows; let the evil ones be cut off from Aditi; let the god Savitar send them away; let the share of the plants be victorious.
सनादग्ने मृणसि यातुधानान्न त्वा रक्षांसि पृतनासु जिग्युः । अनु दह सहमूरान्क्रव्यादो मा ते हेत्या मुक्षत दैव्यायाः
From of old, O Agni, you destroy the sorcerers; demons have not overcome you in battles; burn up the flesh-eating allies, and let not the divine weapon miss its mark for you.
त्वं नो अग्ने अधरादुदक्तात्त्वं पश्चादुत रक्षा पुरस्तात् । प्रति ते ते अजरासस्तपिष्ठा अघशंसं शोशुचतो दहन्तु
You, O Agni, have lifted us up from below; you protect us behind and also in front. May your ageless, sharp flames burn the evil-minded one who seeks to harm us.
पश्चात्पुरस्तादधरादुदक्तात्कविः काव्येन परि पाहि राजन् । सखे सखायमजरो जरिम्णेऽग्ने मर्ताँ अमर्त्यस्त्वं नः
From behind, from before, from below, from above, O wise one, guard us with your wisdom, O king. Friend, protect your friend from decay; Agni, though mortal, you are immortal for us.
परि त्वाग्ने पुरं वयं विप्रं सहस्य धीमहि । धृषद्वर्णं दिवेदिवे हन्तारं भङ्गुरावताम्
Around you, Agni, we build a fortress, O mighty sage. Day by day, we invoke you, the one with steadfast brilliance, the destroyer of those who break the law.
विषेण भङ्गुरावतः प्रति ष्म रक्षसो दह । अग्ने तिग्मेन शोचिषा तपुरग्राभिरृष्टिभिः
With poison, strike down the breakers of law; burn the demons, Agni, with your sharp flame, with blazing spears.
प्रत्यग्ने मिथुना दह यातुधाना किमीदिना । सं त्वा शिशामि जागृह्यदब्धं विप्र मन्मभिः
Burn the paired sorcerers, Agni, with your fierce flame. I urge you, O uninjured sage, to awaken, with my thoughts.
प्रत्यग्ने हरसा हरः शृणीहि विश्वतः प्रति । यातुधानस्य रक्षसो बलं वि रुज वीर्यम्
Agni, with your power, hear our call everywhere. Break the strength and courage of the demon and the evil spirit.
हविष्पान्तमजरं स्वर्विदि दिविस्पृश्याहुतं जुष्टमग्नौ । तस्य भर्मणे भुवनाय देवा धर्मणे कं स्वधया पप्रथन्त
The immortal, light-bringing one, who accepts offerings, who touches the sky, who is invoked and beloved in Agni— for his support, the gods spread themselves in the world, by their own law and nature.
गीर्णं भुवनं तमसापगूळ्हमाविः स्वरभवज्जाते अग्नौ । तस्य देवाः पृथिवी द्यौरुतापोऽरणयन्नोषधीः सख्ये अस्य
The world, hidden by darkness, was revealed by the light born in Agni. For him, the gods, earth, heaven, waters, and plants became friends in his fellowship.
देवेभिर्न्विषितो यज्ञियेभिरग्निं स्तोषाण्यजरं बृहन्तम् । यो भानुना पृथिवीं द्यामुतेमामाततान रोदसी अन्तरिक्षम्
With the gods, the worthy ones, I praise Agni, immortal and great, who with his radiance stretched out earth, heaven, these two realms, and the atmosphere.
यो होतासीत्प्रथमो देवजुष्टो यं समाञ्जन्नाज्येना वृणानाः । स पतत्रीत्वरं स्था जगद्यच्छ्वात्रमग्निरकृणोज्जातवेदाः
He was the first priest, beloved by the gods, whom they approached with clarified butter, choosing him. He, the winged one, made a place for the world; Agni, knower of all births, established the order.
यज्जातवेदो भुवनस्य मूर्धन्नतिष्ठो अग्ने सह रोचनेन । तं त्वाहेम मतिभिर्गीर्भिरुक्थैः स यज्ञियो अभवो रोदसिप्राः
When you, knower of all births, stood as the head of the world, O Agni, with your shining light, we praise you with thoughts, words, and hymns; you became the worthy one, lord of the two realms.
मूर्धा भुवो भवति नक्तमग्निस्ततः सूर्यो जायते प्रातरुद्यन् । मायामू तु यज्ञियानामेतामपो यत्तूर्णिश्चरति प्रजानन्
Agni becomes the head of the world at night; then the sun is born, rising in the morning. These are the wonders of the worthy ones; the waters move swiftly, knowing their purpose.
दृशेन्यो यो महिना समिद्धोऽरोचत दिवियोनिर्विभावा । तस्मिन्नग्नौ सूक्तवाकेन देवा हविर्विश्व आजुहवुस्तनूपाः
He is visible, shining with greatness, kindled, radiant as the heavenly womb. In that Agni, with sacred speech, the gods, protectors of offspring, offered all their oblations.
सूक्तवाकं प्रथममादिदग्निमादिद्धविरजनयन्त देवाः । स एषां यज्ञो अभवत्तनूपास्तं द्यौर्वेद तं पृथिवी तमापः
With sacred speech, the gods first kindled Agni; from him, they produced the offering. He became their sacrifice, protector of offspring; heaven knows him, earth knows him, and so do the waters.
यं देवासोऽजनयन्ताग्निं यस्मिन्नाजुहवुर्भुवनानि विश्वा । सो अर्चिषा पृथिवीं द्यामुतेमामृजूयमानो अतपन्महित्वा
The gods created Agni, in whom all worlds offered themselves. With his flame, he illuminated earth, heaven, and these realms, shining forth in his greatness.
स्तोमेन हि दिवि देवासो अग्निमजीजनञ्छक्तिभी रोदसिप्राम् । तमू अकृण्वन्त्रेधा भुवे कं स ओषधीः पचति विश्वरूपाः
With praise, the gods in heaven created Agni, lord of the two realms, with their powers. They made him threefold for the world; he cooks the herbs of all forms.
यदेदेनमदधुर्यज्ञियासो दिवि देवाः सूर्यमादितेयम् । यदा चरिष्णू मिथुनावभूतामादित्प्रापश्यन्भुवनानि विश्वा
When the worthy ones placed him, the gods, in heaven as the solar Aditya, when the moving pair appeared, then all the worlds became visible.
विश्वस्मा अग्निं भुवनाय देवा वैश्वानरं केतुमह्नामकृण्वन् । आ यस्ततानोषसो विभातीरपो ऊर्णोति तमो अर्चिषा यन्
For all the worlds, the gods made Agni, the universal, the sign, with their might. He stretched out the dawns, the shining waters, and dispels darkness with his flame.
वैश्वानरं कवयो यज्ञियासोऽग्निं देवा अजनयन्नजुर्यम् । नक्षत्रं प्रत्नममिनच्चरिष्णु यक्षस्याध्यक्षं तविषं बृहन्तम्
The wise, worthy of sacrifice, brought forth Vaiśvānara Agni, the undying; the ancient star, moving, approached, the mighty, splendid overseer of the mysterious.
वैश्वानरं विश्वहा दीदिवांसं मन्त्रैरग्निं कविमच्छा वदामः । यो महिम्ना परिबभूवोर्वी उतावस्तादुत देवः परस्तात्
We speak to Vaiśvānara, the all-encompassing, shining Agni, the sage, with hymns; who, by his greatness, has encompassed the vastness, and is also the god beyond.
द्वे स्रुती अशृणवं पितॄणामहं देवानामुत मर्त्यानाम् । ताभ्यामिदं विश्वमेजत्समेति यदन्तरा पितरं मातरं च
I have heard two streams, of the ancestors and of the gods, and also of mortals; by these, all moves and comes together, whatever lies between father and mother.
द्वे समीची बिभृतश्चरन्तं शीर्षतो जातं मनसा विमृष्टम् । स प्रत्यङ्विश्वा भुवनानि तस्थावप्रयुच्छन्तरणिर्भ्राजमानः
Two harmonious paths bear the moving one, born from the head, shaped by mind; he stood facing all worlds, shining, the swift messenger, not sent by others.
यत्रा वदेते अवरः परश्च यज्ञन्योः कतरो नौ वि वेद । आ शेकुरित्सधमादं सखायो नक्षन्त यज्ञं क इदं वि वोचत्
Where the lower and the higher speak, which of us knows the sacrifice? The companions reached the common seat; they mark the ritual—who will declare this?
कत्यग्नयः कति सूर्यासः कत्युषासः कत्यु स्विदापः । नोपस्पिजं वः पितरो वदामि पृच्छामि वः कवयो विद्मने कम्
How many fires, how many suns, how many dawns, how many waters are there? I do not speak of your ancestors as hidden; I ask you, wise ones, for knowledge—whom?
यावन्मात्रमुषसो न प्रतीकं सुपर्ण्यो वसते मातरिश्वः । तावद्दधात्युप यज्ञमायन्ब्राह्मणो होतुरवरो निषीदन्
As long as the measure of dawns, not their likeness, the swift-winged Mātariśvan dwells; so long does the Brahman, the lower priest, establish the sacrificial seat.